


Caffeine Boost

by imhookedonaswan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 11:29:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3408956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imhookedonaswan/pseuds/imhookedonaswan





	Caffeine Boost

Killian groaned when his started started ringing and vibrating on his bedside table, signaling that it was time to start the day. He dragged his thumb across the screen to silence it and rolled out of bed massaging his face with his hands and thoroughly regretting signing up for a 7 am Medieval History course but he needed the history credit and it was the only remotely interesting one. He got out of bed and poured himself a large cup of coffee in his kitchen and started getting ready for the rest of his day. He drove himself to campus thinking longingly of his warm bed and how in just an hour and 50 minutes he would be able to go back to his apartment and go back to sleep.  
He sat down in his usual seat and took out his laptop to take notes, the classroom was filled with a sleepy silence despite the few students already there. He took a long sip of coffee from his travel mug, a welcome gift from his brother, and tried to wake up a bit before the professor started class. Try as Professor Gold might to make the two hour 7 am somewhat interesting, his low and smooth voice had a way of putting Killian to sleep, probably the reason Gold wasn't particularly fond of him. Killian snapped out of his thoughts when a flash of blonde caught his eye.  
The pretty blonde girl dropped into the desk next to him, looking a little worse for wear, even by morning lecture standards. Her usually blonde cascading curls were frizzy and tangled together and she was wearing a baggy university sweatshirt and leggings and had deep circles under her eyes. Killian watched her as she took out a travel mug full of coffee and opened it and reached into her bag and pulled out a can of monster and proceeded to pour it's contents into her coffee. She caught him staring transfixed at her and Killian quickly closed his mouth that he did realize had dropped open in shock.  
“I'm going to die,” she deadpanned to him and took a long sip.  
“Rough night?” he asked still in disbelief.  
“If by rough you mean trying to ignore your neighbor's obnoxiously loud rap music while trying to study for my statistics midterm, then yes very rough,” she said taking another pull of her caffeine concoction.  
“Sounds nasty, just like that mixture you are currently downing. Seriously love, you are going to give yourself a heart attack,” Killian gestured to her travel mug.  
“Good then I won't have to take that stupid midterm,” she shrugged, “Although I wouldn't put it past Mills to force someone who's in the hospital to still take her tests.”  
“Yeah I had her last semester, she was definitely intense,” he chuckled “You know-” he started but Professor Gold strode into the room and launched into his lecture for the day. Killian tried to pay attention but he found his attention being pulled to the girl next to him and it wasn't entirely because she kept tapping her fingers on her desk. While Gold mercilessly plowed through his lecture notes for the whole hour and 50 minutes, droning on and on about this king or that duke and Killian felt like his brain was going to leak out of his ears if he had to remember another King Henry. Finally they reached the halfway mark and Gold let them have a 5 minute break to get up and stretch and Emma turned back to him.  
“You were saying something before Gold walked in?” she asked.  
“Oh I was just going to offer to help you study for your exam, you know since I had Mills last semester,” he scratched behind his ear not really knowing why he felt a bit awkward, it wasn't like he hadn't talked to girls before.  
“Really? Because that'd be great, I'm Emma, Emma Nolan, by the way,” she said extending her hand for him to shake.  
“Killian, and are you sure you're okay? You seem to be talking a mile a minute,” he asked.  
“I'll be fine, I just need to get through this class and then the midterm and then I can sleep for the whole weekend. It'll be great,” she said very quickly.  
“Okay then, I don't have any classes until 3, do you want to go to the library after this class gets out and I can help you study?” he asked.  
“Yeah that'll be great,” she smiled and turned back to the front as Gold started lecturing again. Killian felt himself getting jittery along with Emma and he could tell he was driving the person sitting in the desk in front of him crazy since he couldn't stop bouncing his leg up and down. He couldn't believe his luck, this was the most he had ever talked to her since class had started 6 weeks ago. He anxiously waited for class to be over, the clock ticking by ever so slowly and Gold's soft voice filtering in one ear and out the other until class finally ended.  
Killian and Emma fell into step as they walked out of the classroom on their way to the library.  
“Would you like me to carry that for you?” he asked pointing to her backpack.  
“What are you some kind of gentleman?” she asked sarcastically.  
“I think you'll find I'm always a gentleman,” he smirked.  
“Thanks but I can carry my own bag,” she rolled her eyes but Killian caught sight of a small smile on her face.  
“Of that I have no doubt love,” he said following her in the direction on the library. They found an empty study room and Emma spread out all her notes and homework across the table.  
“Thank you by the way, I really need this. Statistics isn't exactly my strong suit,” she said gathering her hair into a ponytail and sitting down.  
“Don't worry, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses but you'll get it, now what exactly do you need help with?”  
“Chi- squares and test for association between two categorical variables, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing,” she said pulling her notes towards her and the study guide Professor Mills had posted on Blackboard.  
Killian tried his best to explain to Emma how to do the problems on the study guide and she seemed to have a grasp of the material but Killian could tell she was still anxious about something.  
“I hate statistics, I can understand how to do the questions when I have all these notes and someone to bounce ideas off of but once I step into that room everything just goes blank and I have no clue what to do,” Emma said, slamming her hands down on the table and tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.  
“Hey it's going to be okay love, how about we just stop for a second and not think about the midterm? I believe you have test anxiety and adding in all that caffeine isn't helping,” he said reaching out and brushing some of her hair out of her face. She took a long shuddering breath and looked at him.  
“Thanks, sorry I'm not usually like this, I'm just really stressed out about this fucking midterm and Professor Mills is literally the most unhelpful person on the planet. Why she became a professor is beyond me,” Emma breathed out.  
“Aye I remember, neither me nor my mates could brave going to her office hours, here let's take a little break from studying, ask me anything you've been dying to know,” he suggested. Emma smiled softly and pushed her notes away from her.  
“I've been meaning to ask you, where are you from? Not to be rude but the accent makes you wonder,” she said.  
“London, I'm here for the marine engineering program,” he told her.  
“That's a long way to come for one program,” she observed.  
“Well it's one of the best and my brother also went to school out here and has a place in New York, so I'm not that far away from home,” Killian explained.  
“That's good that you have family close by,” she said, “My parents are all the way in this tiny town in Maine.”  
“What's it like?”  
“Small, everybody knows everybody and everyone's in each other's business. It's like having a huge, slightly overbearing, extended family,” she smiled.  
Killian laughed, “Sounds kind of nice, actually.”  
“It is, but I just needed to get out and try something new you know? Get a change of perspective,” she explained.  
“Aye I agree, so would you like to take another stab at studying or would you like some tea if you're still a bit anxious?” Killian asked her.  
“I'm not much of a tea person but I wouldn't say no to some hot cocoa with cinnamon,” Emma said hopefully.  
“Well come on lass, let's get you that hot cocoa then,” Killian said helping her gather up her notes from the table. They made their way to the library's coffee shop and stood in line, Killian pulling out his wallet when it comes time to pay.  
“Oh you don't have to I got it,” Emma protests.  
“Now lass what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't get you your drink of choice?” he asked before handing the barista some bills.  
“You don't have to do this you know,” she said.  
“I know but I want to,” he answered before handing her a cup of steaming hot cocoa with cinnamon. She took a deep sip and Killian saw her shoulders relax and her eyes close in bliss  
“That's so much better, I think I'm ready to take another stab at studying,” she said hitching her backpack higher on her shoulder. They walked back to their study room and sat back down at the table.  
“So I think you have a pretty good grasp on the material, you know what you're doing love, you're just second guessing yourself and you let the problems on the page intimidate you,” Killian explained.  
“Yeah and it probably doesn't help that I'm still wired as hell from that Monster and coffee combo.”  
“Aye, but I think that you can do it and you can pass this exam, I know this sounds incredibly corny but you have to believe in yourself and your abilities,” he encouraged.  
“You're right, that was incredible corny,” she chuckles, “But you really think I can do this?”  
“I don't see why not, just remember to breath when you feel overwhelmed and to just take a moment and calm down. Trying to figure out how to answer a question is infinitely more difficult when you are in a panic,” he explained.  
“How do you know all this?” she asked.  
“I was never the best test taker while in school so I've learned some tricks along the way,” he shrugged. They worked together going over her notes and the study guide, Emma slowly getting more and more confident in her abilities. She took the practice test, Killian standing by ready to offer her help but she worked diligently looking from her note sheet to her calculator and her practice test until she was finished.  
“All right love, let's see how you did,” he said pulling up the answer key on her computer. Emma nervously tapped her fingers on the table while he looked over the practice test.  
“So how did I do?” she asked.  
“Brilliant, had this been the real test you would have gotten a B” he said handing her test back to her.  
“Hey I'll take it, thank you by the way Killian, you really didn't have to help me,” she said looking deep into his very blue eyes.  
“I'm happy to help Emma but that was all you and your brilliance,” he smiled at her.  
“Well I should probably get going to the exam and you have class but thanks again, I'll see you Friday in class?” she asked a glint of hope in her eye.  
“Aye, good luck love,” he said while slinging his own backpack over his shoulder. Emma looked at him for a moment before pulling him in for a hug and pressing a kiss to his cheek.  
“Sorry I've just been wanting to do that for a while and I-,” she said, the words tumbling from her lips in a rush but she was cut off when Killian pressed his lips to hers. He snaked his hands around her waist and pulled her flush against him as she gripped onto the lapels of his leather jacket. His tongue traced her bottom lip and she opened herself to him and deepened the kiss. She broke the kiss with a sigh and smiled up at him.  
“I've been wanting to do that for a while too,” he breathed and rested his forehead against hers, “Now I believe you have a statistics midterm to go defeat,” he said.  
“I'll tell you how it goes Friday in class,” she said her smile widening as she turned and walked out of the study room. For the first time all semester Killian actually looked forward to his two hour 7 am Medieval History class.


End file.
